Blog Assignment #6

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX1Yj-fhiTA

(Note: I used the first 5 unique shots of the scene, instead of strictly the first 5 shots, as a few shots were repeated.)

The 180 degree rules are followed throughout this scene. The first shot of Cameron in the center establishes the 180 degree line running through him, toward the camera, and the next shot rotates about 120 degrees to the left to show Cameron, Ferris and Sloane. After this, the camera moves back to its original position facing Cameron, before going behind his right shoulder, which is as far as the camera can go without crossing the 180 degree line. The camera once again goes back to the first shot, and then repeats the wide shot showing all three characters. As Cameron begins to walk in front of the car, the camera dollys right and slightly forward. A new 180 degree line is established running through Ferris toward the camera, before going behind Ferris’ right shoulder.

The Rule of Thirds is broken a couple of times, but in both cases this is justified. In the second shot, the wide shot including all three characters, Ferris and Sloane are on either side of where the right vertical intersection is, but in the context of the scene this works. Cameron is the main focus and is exactly on the left horizontal intersection, but Ferris and Sloane have lesser and equal importance, so they are left off this intersection to keep one of them from seeming more important than the other. The other time the Rule of Thirds is broken is when the camera returns to the original shot of Cameron for the third time, as he is almost exactly in the center of the shot. This is also acceptable because he is the only focus of the shot and the camera slightly zooms in on him to emphasize this. As for the Rule of 30, every new shot moves the camera by at least 30%.

This scene is well-shot, cutting back and forth between Cameron and his friends in sync with the content of his lines. This scene is a Cameron monologue, so the only shots of Ferris and Sloane are to show their reactions to what he says, and they are appropriately de-emphasized based on the way the shots are set up.

First shot storyboard

First shot overhead

Second shot storyboard

Second shot overhead

Third shot storyboard

Third shot overhead

Fourth shot storyboard

Fourth shot overhead

Fifth shot storyboard

Fifth shot overhead